Air Zoom Pegasus 32

I am superstitious about long run shoes. I always have one pair of shoes that I use only for long runs. They are typically softer and more about comfort than anything. Right now my long runs are in the NB Balos. Historically, those have been Invincibles, Infinity React, Triumph, Vomero... I read an article about Jeannie Rice. She attributes some of her resiliency to a large shoe rotation. Good enough justification for me. Plus there are articles out there relating reduce injury rates with a shoe rotation. I have shoes that I wear on interval day and shoes that I wear on tempo/threshold day. To me it's more fun to run fast in a shoe that's designed for the pace. Streakfly, Hyperion Max, Noosa tri... Recovery runs are just in whatever I'm trying to wear out at the moment. I have a pair of Triumph 20's that are relegated to daily runs now. You can certainly get by in a single pair of shoes. I trained for and ran my first half in a pair of Nike Pegasus 32. In retrospect, not a great shoe, but it did the job. I find new shoes motivating for running. Some days I need some extra motivation and a new pair of shoes helps me get there.

I usually do a Nike Pegasus in a wide, they do a handful of other models as well

Second white Pegasus! Got mine recently, train for a 5k every evening and wear them to work too.

Inspired... the Pegs were the OG do it all trainer. Still a good option, you'll be a little slower on pure speed workouts, but for tempos and stuff, they're fine unless you're used to the super shoe boost

Pegasus tends to run narrow - lots of Nike shoes do historically. I haven't worn the Pegasus in a number of years and the midsole tech changes so take my feedback with a grain of salt but the midsole took a number of miles before they broke in for me. They were tanks though. The Gore-tex version you have seems to be constructed differently and may be less forgiving in fit. It's tread is a little different but shouldn't really affect the ride much. I've been running on/off for a decade now and I'm embarrassed to admit I have spent thousands on many sneakers. My current favorite pair is the Asics Superblast. Pricey but was a great balance of support, cushion and weight. They're not perfect but my feet and legs never suffer from them. Like others have said, two months is very early into your running. Your feet may still be adjusting or even your mechanics may be causing foot pain no matter what shoes you're in. I've also found that sometimes I have to adjust to the shoes I'm running in - whether that be pace, stride or foot strike. And wearing them in the shop doesn't mean they're going to feel great once you start running in them which is why it's nice to go to a dedicated running shop where they typically let you run up to a mile in them on the treadmill before you buy. I know saving money matters - that's a good practical approach generally but these are your feet! Spend a little more upfront and when you have more experience with the fitting process, then go after the deals and sales.

Been rotating between Salomon Sense Ride for trails and Nike Pegasus for road runs. Nothing super exciting, but both just work. The Sense Ride feels like a nice middle ground - enough grip for most trails without feeling too heavy. Pegasus is just my “don’t think, just run” shoe. Been thinking about trying something with a wider toe box next (maybe Topo or Altra again), but haven’t pulled the trigger yet.

Literally any modern shoe you buy is probably going to feel like a Cadillac on your feet compared to Nike Frees. If you like that lower stack kinda ground feel I’d look at something like the Pegasus or the brooks hyperion. If you want something with a little bit more underfoot without being bulky I’d look at the asics Novablast 5, Vomero Plus, Saucony ride or Saucony Triumph.